Former top Bush officials back Holder

Two more former top Bush Justice Department officials have endorsed the nomination of Eric Holder for attorney general, the latest in a growing list of GOP backers for Holder.

In letters obtained by Politico and expected to be released shortly, Paul McNulty and Larry Thompson, both of whom served as deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush, threw their support behind Holder, who was a deputy attorney general under former President Bill Clinton.

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James Comey, another Bush deputy attorney general, has also backed Holder.

With two days of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Holder’s nomination beginning on Thursday, and a panel vote expected later this month, Senate Republicans are raising concerns about Holder’s fitness for the post. They are focusing on Holder’s role in the controversial pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich in 2001, his involvement in Clinton-era campaign finance probes, his support of clemency requests for Puerto Rican terrorists, and his work as a private attorney since leaving the Justice Department eight years ago. Holder is currently a partner in the law firm Covington & Burling.

Holder has publicly expressed regret over his handling of the Marc Rich case. Rich’s ex-wife, Denise Rich, was a big donor to the Clinton presidential library.

In a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, asked whether Holder would have the ability to stand up to President-elect Barack Obama and White House officials if he were to become attorney general.

“Sometimes it is more important for the attorney general to have the stature and the courage to say no instead of to say yes,” Specter said.

But Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and the Obama transition team have been rounding up an extensive list of endorsements for the nominee, including Bush Justice Department officials.

In addition, former GOP Sen. John Warner (Va.) will introduce Holder at Thursday’s hearing, and former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, who oversaw the Clinton campaign-finance investigations, will testify on his behalf.

In his letter endorsing Holder, McNulty said Holder’s acknowledgement of mistakes made during his time as deputy attorney general, including his role in the Marc Rich scandal, actually make him a stronger choice to head the Justice Department.

“When Eric Holder was Deputy Attorney General, he encountered a daily barrage of complex issues and demands,” McNulty wrote. “His challenge was to exercise sound judgment, often within severely limited time constraints. As a result, it should come as no surprise that Eric can now look back and wish that he had handled some things differently. What is important, however, is that he remains the same person of high integrity, and through it all, he is far better prepared to lead the Department of Justice.”

Comey used similar language in his endorsement letter for Holder.

McNulty, a former U.S. attorney who also served as staff director at the House Judiciary Committee during the Clinton impeachment hearings, added that Holder “is one of the most qualified nominees for Attorney General in the nation’s history.”